Need to Do Something NOWRIGHTNOW to Fight Back Against [Fresh Horror]?

Update: Per the December 2018 update on the Important Announcement page, I have rewritten this page to make it more responsive to Dumpster fires as they flare up.

One Thing You Can Do‘s purpose is to help you focus. It gives you one thing you can do, every day, to push back against Trump. One thing. Every day.

But we’re not in a position to respond instantly to fresh horrors. Here’s how to prepare for when the current post on OTYCD does not reflect breaking news. It starts with getting on Twitter and following some folks.

The list is not comprehensive, and it’s not meant to be. Nor is it closed. Everything is OTYCD-approved. The blog relies on many of these sources when seeking and researching subjects for future posts.

First, an apology if you hate social media. Twitter is, was, and always will be a double-edged sword. But! If you’re roiled by the news and thinking, ‘What can I do nowrightnow to fight back against [fresh horror]?’ Twitter has the goods.

Second, another apology. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of folks are worth following on Twitter. I’m limiting this list of recommendations to those who can pacify your freakout du jour in the moment with concrete actions.

We good? OK.

First follows you should make are your elected representatives–federal, state, and local.

Not all of them will be great on Twitter. Not all of them will have Twitter accounts. Nor should you consider tweeting at them to count as useful action. You should follow their accounts to check them before you call to see if they’ve put out a statement about the Dumpster-fire-of-the-moment, and compose your comments accordingly.

For general staying-on-top-of-things, you need to follow:

Celeste Pewter (@Celeste_Pewter). She knows how Congress works and she’s got a well-deserved reputation for being quick on the draw with things you can do to fight back, whatever it is–attacks on the Affordable Care Act, shitty far right judicial candidates, shitty bills that need pushback, protests aborning, you name it. If you follow no one else, follow her.

For postcard activism, follow Tony the Democrat (@DemocratWit). If you’re not part of the postcard army, first go to the website and sign up: postcardstovoters.org.

Once you’re a confirmed member of the army, the Twitter feed is the fastest way to get word of new GOTV postcard campaigns.

For healthcare-related stuff, follow Andy Slavitt (@aslavitt) and Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro). They cover other issues, too, but if the Republicans are attacking the ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP (spoiler alert: They’re ALWAYS attacking those things), Andy and Topher saw it coming and they have your marching orders.

Susan Rogan will keep you as busy as you want to be. The retired university librarian’s blog gives you more than a dozen useful nuggets of information per day, from actions to tools to organizations to join, and more. Are you extra-eager to do more? Start here. The newest daily tends to go live around 9 am EST.

This is tied with Rogan’s List blog as the most effective, up-to-date, and comprehensive Resistance blogs out there, in our opinion. If you’re itching to do more, go here. Celeste is on it. Also, follow her on Twitter at @Celeste_Pewter.

Postcards to Voters (postcardstovoters.org)

Never doubt the power of the postcard to get out the vote (GOTV). Tony the Democrat and friends have been sending handwritten postcards to voters since March 2017, when Jon Ossoff ran in the Georgia 5th District special election. Since then, the team has helped candidates such as Conor Lamb and Doug Jones achieve victory. As of August 2018, Postcards to Voters volunteers are mailing 3,000 postcards a day to help candidates in races across America. As noted above, please follow the Twitter account at @DemocratWit and watch the #postcardstovoters hashtag.

Political Charge (www.politicalcharge.org)

Tokyo Sand’s excellent blog is your go-to for special elections, primaries, and general elections of all sorts. New material appears frequently, and it’s always solid, meaty, and insightful. Political Charge’s posts often point to specific things that you can do to help GOTV and mitigate the latest damage caused by Trump and the GOP. The Twitter account is @DHSTokyo.

Flippable’s goal is to turn state and federal offices blue, one electoral race at a time. Its email list sends out one message per week that contains several action items. It’s especially good for learning about upcoming elections in state legislatures. Twitter account is @flippable_org.

Swing Left (www.swingleft.org)

They worked like heck to flip the House of Representatives blue in 2018. The Dems gained 40 seats and counting (as of December 2018, there’s a North Carolina race that will almost certainly be rerun as a result of funny business with absentee ballots). It’s worth checking in with them. Twitter is @swingleft.

The Sister District Project (www.sisterdistrict.com)

This org will tell you about areas near you that could flip to blue with your help. Twitter is @Sister_District.